


Unexpected

by SongOfMarbule



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-03-08 18:07:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13463673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SongOfMarbule/pseuds/SongOfMarbule
Summary: Ignis needs a date for the upcoming fundraiser event. Desperate, he resorts to asking the person he thought was the least likely candidate. But as the night goes on, he discovers that there's more to Prompto Argentum than appears on the surface.





	Unexpected

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my entry for Promnis Week Day 2! The prompt was '“Fake relationship to real relationship”'. I had a lot of fun writing this one. <3

The last thing Ignis had wanted to do on his Friday night was spend it attending the “Save the Garula” fundraiser banquet, but unfortunately, he had no choice in the matter. It was an event put on by the Crown; one that the Prince’s royal advisor was expected to attend. If he didn’t show up, there would no doubt be whispers, gossip uttered in hushed voices as he passed by. “He doesn’t care about nature!” someone would gasp, clutching their pearl necklace in despair. “Honestly, did he  _ really _ have something better to do?” someone else would croak, shaking their head in disapproval. And while it was true that Ignis actually  _ did _ have something better to do, he  _ did _ actually care about nature, and nature’s creatures. In particular, he was rather fond of the Garula.

He found them to be delicious.

Which meant, he may have had a small part in why this fundraiser was happening in the first place.

Well, he would just have to make a note to be quiet about his palate while he was at the event, wouldn’t he?

Ah, so he was attending, after all. No matter. Ignis had been to events in the past that, somehow, were far more dull than this one. However, attending any type of formal gathering posed one little problem. Normally, one would attend such an event with a Plus One.

Ignis did not have a Plus One.

And he did not have anyone he could ask. Outside of his admittedly small social circle, everyone was either taken or had no interest in attending an event such as this. Which left him with only one option: find someone to ask inside of his small social circle, or risk having his image tainted by showing up to a ball with no one on his arm. He most certainly didn’t care, but everyone else apparently did. The royal advisor, showing up to a gala with no one at his side? Perish the thought! He didn’t want to be responsible for a mass pearl clutching event, after all. 

Noctis was out of the question (and besides, the Prince didn’t require a Plus One; he was his own Plus One). Gladiolus? Absolutely not (and as it were, he had his own Plus One; a lovely local biologist who happened to be passionate about the cause). Which left Ignis with only one last person that he could ask: the very last person he would ever consider.

Prompto Argentum.

Prompto Argentum, the Prince’s spunky, loud, freckled, sometimes brash best friend. The blond was always waving his camera around, making rude jokes, and finding humour in absolutely  _ everything _ ; he was  _ hardly _ “Save the Garula” fundraiser material. And yet, Ignis begrudgingly asked him to attend as his date anyway. Showing up with a mismatched date was better than showing up with no one at all, right?

To his surprise, Prompto agreed. “Sure, why not?” were his exact words, a disinterested shrug to follow.

Ignis was rather nervous of the turn out, but truth be told: Prompto Argentum cleaned up quite well.

Dressed in a finely tailored blue suit, no doubt courtesy of the Prince himself, Ignis hardly recognized Prompto when he stopped by his house to pick him up on the way to the event. Hair styled neatly, away from his eyes, it was like Ignis was seeing Prompto’s face for the first time. Ignis wondered if Prompto was wearing contacts; were his eyes always that stunningly blue? And he’d known that Prompto had freckles, but did he really have  _ that _ many this whole time? And then there was the matter of his nose; was it always that, well… cute?

For a moment, he found himself thinking that Prompto also had the most handsome smile. 

Was his mind playing tricks on him after all?

Before he knew it, they had already been in attendance of the fundraiser for a few hours. After arriving, Ignis had feared the worst, and yet, the evening was going... quite well.

Perhaps he had been too hard on Prompto, too harsh and assuming. He had expected a disaster; Prompto bothering the other guests with his high energy, his affinity for snacking, and his love of photographing everything and anything, but tonight, he was like a completely different person. Quiet, polite, his pleasant demeanour seemed to be charming everyone that stopped by to talk to the ‘lovely couple’.

A couple.

Ah, yes. That’s what they were presenting themselves as tonight.

Huh.

After partaking in some snacks, the pair sipped glasses of ruby red punch while they chatted with a small group of animal activists. Ignis, thankful for the punch that excused him from having to speak, left the conversation up to Prompto for the time being. Just as he’d thought, Prompto was all about the animals and had a lot to say about nature, particularly about how photographers were just as important as the scientists were when it came to learning about animal preservation, and with research in general. 

As Ignis listened to his ‘date’ speak, he couldn’t help but realize that Prompto… was a lot smarter than he had originally thought. The second that revelation came to mind, he immediately felt guilty. He’d dismissed Prompto based on first impressions alone, and even if he’d never voiced this opinion to the blond directly, he wanted to make it up to him nonetheless. Perhaps later, they could have a bite to eat outside of this stuffy atmosphere, perhaps share some coffee, see a movie, maybe, or---

Speaking of beverages, Ignis suddenly found himself blessed with a beverage shower. Not his own, from his own glass, no; but rather from Prompto’s, which had been formerly filled to the brim. Prompto, in the middle of a heated debate with one of the ladies in the activist group, had been so focused on their conversation that he’d barely had any of his drink.  And with his tendency to gesture his hands around wildly while he spoke, like one of those wacky inflatable flailing tube men outside of used car dealerships, it meant that his punch wasn’t likely to remain inside of its holder for very long. In fact, it was a miracle that it had remained in his cup for as long as it had and hadn’t spilled at the beginning of the conversation.

Unfortunately for Ignis, he happened to be wearing a pure white suit in attendance of the event.

“Ah, shit! I mean, crap! I mean… can you excuse us for a moment, please?” Prompto scrambled, an awkward laugh escaping him as he turned and pushed on Ignis, forcing the man to hobble along, away from the other guests surrounding them. 

“Prompto---” Ignis began, but apparently he was powerless to the escort of the smaller, leaner, younger man.

“Dammit, I am so,  _ so  _ sorry,” Prompto said as they found a deserted corner of the floor. He grabbed a few napkins off of the nearby table and attempted to mop up the mess on Ignis’ front, and Ignis was so stunned by the action that he just, stood there and  _ allowed _ it. “Why the hell did you choose to wear a  _ white suit _ anyway?! You know white clothes stain like the dickens! All you gotta do is just  _ breathe _ on them and they’re ruined!”

Ignis let out a soft breath, his gaze to the side as Prompto insisted on tending to him. "Well, I suppose it's now a pink suit, isn’t it?” he murmured. “I'm afraid it doesn't quite match my eyes, but it will have to do for now."

Prompto looked up at him right then, his brow furrowing as he appeared to be deep in thought. Contemplating. Carefully choosing his words, possibly. 

"Heh, well… at least you smell kinda nice now?” Prompto joked, his inflection rising at the end of his sentence, from nerves, most likely. “Fruity!" The blond winked at Ignis, waving the sopping wet, pink stained bundle of napkins he had in his hand at him playfully. When Ignis didn’t reply, Prompto seemed to deflate. “Er, uh… I…” he began, frowning. “I... really am sorry. I’ll... be more careful from now on, okay?”

Ignis watched the display of sincerity from his date and felt something in his chest. It was a peculiar sensation, one that gave way to warmth across his cheeks and seemed to clear his mind of any frustration he may have felt. At a sudden loss for words, he cleared his throat awkwardly, adjusted his tie, then adjusted his glasses.  "I hear passion fruit is all the rage," he uttered under his breath. “So perhaps it was not an accident, but merely an attempt to make me more fashionable, appearance-wise as well as in fragrance.”

Prompto stared at Ignis. 

Had Ignis said something wrong, then? Did Prompto not get his sense of humour, just like everyone else in this ghastly place? After all, Ignis had a knack for accidentally insulting people with his dry brand of humour, and---

Laughter.

Prompto was laughing.

No one had ever really laughed at his jokes before, and yet here was his ‘date’, his former acquaintance, standing in front of him. Laughing. 

“Oh man, speaking of passion fruit, I know a place that serves some  _ killer  _ passion fruit tea,” Prompto managed after his laughter ceased, leaving behind a glowing smile. “It’s a new menu item. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but it’s supposed to be  _ phenomenal _ . What say we… uh,” he paused, fidgeting with his tie, “ditch this popsicle stand… and give it a try?”

There was a moment’s hesitation before Ignis’ reply came.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea, Prompto,” he said warmly, with a smile to match.

That evening, Ignis found a new favourite tea to indulge in, as well as a new favourite person.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on [Tumblr](http://saturnvalleycoffee.tumblr.com). I've also got a [FFXV sideblog](http://caseofthestolenspecs.tumblr.com), where these short stories are being cross-posted to!


End file.
